Summary During the afternoon of 29 October 2004, the commercial fishing vessel ProspectPoint, with a crew of five on board, was fishing for sardines, in Kyuquot Sound, off the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. After pursing in the net, while the crew was in the process of preparing to haul in the catch of sardines, the vessel heeled to starboard and capsized, forcing all the crew members into the water. The crew members were recovered and landed on board a coastal freighter anchored in the vicinity. The vessel was subsequently recovered and towed to Steveston, British Columbia. No injury was reported. Ce rapport est galement disponible en franais. Other Factual Information Particulars of the Vessel Description of the Vessel The ProspectPoint is a hard-chined, welded aluminum fishing vessel of closed construction, built and certified as "fitted and equipped for drum seining." The transom stern has a hydraulic ramp and roller, used for fishing operations. Below the main deck, the vessel is subdivided by four transverse watertight bulkheads enclosing, from forward, the crew accommodation, over the water ballast tank; the engine room, with fuel tanks to port and starboard; and two forward and two after insulated fish holds divided by a centreline bulkhead. Two additional fuel tanks are on either side of the fresh water tank located in the lazarette. Propulsion is provided by a six-cylinder Caterpillar marine diesel engine, driving a single fixed-pitch propeller. The vessel is fitted with a single-plate centreline rudder. The deckhouse is just forward of amidships and houses the galley, captain's cabin, washrooms, mess, and kitchen areas. From the main deck, three steps lead up to the wheelhouse, and three steps down lead to the crew accommodation. Entrance to the engine room is through the deckhouse. The main mast, located amidships abaft the deckhouse, is equipped with a main cargo boom. The hydraulic Gearmatic power block, fitted to the cargo boom, is used to haul the nets aboard. The ProspectPoint also has a pair of outrigger booms equipped with roll-reduction paravanes. The seine winch is located between the deckhouse and the fish holds. The seine drum is located behind the after fish holds. Access to the fish holds is through aluminum hatch covers fitted to the raised coaming above the fish holds. The vessel was engaged mainly in seine fishing. Purse Seining Figure1.Sketch showing six stages in shooting and hauling purse seine Purse seining is a method used to catch schooling fish near the ocean surface by encircling them with a net. Once the fish have been encircled, a wire (purse line) running through the bottom of the net is winched tight to "close the purse" from below. Photo1.Photo of a fishing vessel engaged in purse seining When setting the net, a power skiff secures to the free end of the 410 m long net, then draws it off the seine drum and away from the fishing vessel (seiner). The upper edge of the net is buoyed with floats and remains on the surface. Approximately 35 m below the surface, the lower edge of the net is weighted so that it is suspended vertically in the water. Metal rings connect the "purse line" to the lower edge of the net. After the net is drawn away from the seiner, the fish are encircled and the skiff then brings the free end of the net back to the seiner's starboard side, where it is secured. The skiff is then repositioned at the seiner's port side, where it is used (as a side thruster) to prevent the fishing vessel from overriding the net. The seine winch on the seiner then draws in the purse line, closing off the bottom of the net like a giant drawstring. As the purse string is pulled in, the metal rings are collected on a "stripper bar" at the side of the seiner. Once the bottom of the seine is closed, preventing the catch from escaping, the net is "dried"; that is, it is progressively brought on board, reducing the portion in the water that contains fish to a minimum. The drying is achieved by running the free end of the net through a hydraulic "power block" located on the boom. This process slowly pulls the portion of the seine net still in the water toward the seiner, forming a concentrated pocket of fish. The fish are transferred from the net into the fish holds using either large dip nets, known as brails, or fish pumps. Drying is a crucial stage in the purse seining operation because sardines (whose behavioural characteristics are similar to those of adult herring when trapped) are known to panic and "sound" (dive to the bottom). History of the Voyage Figure2.Approximate position of capsizing On 14 October 2004, the ProspectPoint departed Steveston, British Columbia, near the mouth of the Fraser River, with a crew of five: skipper, engineer, and three deckhands. The vessel sailed to Nootka Sound on the west coast of Vancouver Island to fish for sardines. The catch from that fishery was delivered to a fish plant at Zeballos, on Vancouver Island. Subsequently, the ProspectPoint headed north to Kyuquot Sound, on Vancouver Island, to continue fishing. The last delivery of approximately 39 tons of sardines was made in Zeballos on 27 October 2004. The crew had to make four sets to catch that quantity. On October 29, the ProspectPoint returned to a small cove off Tahsish Inlet and, at about 1600 Pacific standard time,2 set its net. The winds were light, and the water was rippled. One deckhand was in a skiff attached to the ProspectPoint's port quarter by a bridle. The skiff was towing gently to prevent the ProspectPoint from overriding the net. The electronic fish sounder gave indications of a large set. Two deckhands were engaged in "pursing in" the net; one was operating the winch, the other was collecting the rings from the purse line on the stripper bar. Another crew member was drumming in the net. The skipper was at the stern of the vessel, supervising. The set was to the starboard side of the vessel. A breast rope to the net, secured just forward of amidships of the ProspectPoint's starboard side, kept the set in place. In an emergency, releasing this rope opens up the net and releases the catch. The net was now ready to be dried. A strap from a power block on the ProspectPoint's boom was secured around the net and that portion of the net was raised. When a net is being recovered, it is normal for fishing vessels to heel toward the side on which fishing operations are occurring. In this instance, when the strap suspending the net was approximately 3 m above the water, the ProspectPoint heeled further than usual to starboard, paused, and then continued to heel. As this was happening, the skipper signalled to the deckhand working amidships to release the net that was being drummed in. The skipper then attempted to run amidships to release the breast rope attached to the net and set the fish free. The removal of the suspended weight of the net and catch would enable the vessel to return to an even keel. Instead, the ProspectPoint inclined further to starboard and took water on deck rapidly; the skipper was, by now, waist deep in water. The vessel downflooded rapidly through the open galley door into the accommodation, and into the fish holds that were open in anticipation of loading. As the vessel rolled over, the crew climbed atop high points of the vessel before eventually jumping into the water. The crew was wearing rain gear. The vessel capsized within two minutes in position 5005'48"N, 12707'24"W. The crew member on the skiff came around and recovered the others from the water. They were transported aboard the coastal freighter Klassen, which was anchored in the bay. None of the crew was injured. The vessel was subsequently recovered and towed to Steveston. It was later sold to United States interests in Washington State. Damage to the Vessel All of the vessel's electronic equipment and machinery sustained extensive water damage. Certification Vessel Certification As a small fishing vessel of 70.20in gross tonnage and less than 24.4 m in length, the ProspectPoint was subject to quadrennial inspections by Transport Canada (TC).3 The vessel was certificated as a home trade, ClassII vessel. Its safety inspection certificate (SIC29) was issued 17June2002, and was valid until 16June2006. The checkbox on the SIC 29 that indicates whether the vessel is certified for capelin or herring fishing was left blank. Personnel Certification The skipper of the ProspectPoint held a fishing master, third-class certificate of competency, issued in Vancouver in 1982. He was trained in Marine Emergency Duties (MED A1, Basic Safety), as required by that certification. One of the deckhands on the ProspectPoint similarly held a fishing master, third-class certificate of competency, issued in Vancouver in1985. He was also trained in Marine Emergency Duties (MEDA1, Basic Safety). Personnel Experience The skipper had some 30years of experience in the fishing industry, including 17years as skipper of the ProspectPoint. All of the other crew members were experienced fishers. Department of Fisheries and Oceans Fishing Licences The ProspectPoint held the following fishing licences: salmon by seine (AS), herring roe by seine (HS) for two areas, halibut by hook and line (L), and sardines by seine(ZS). Weather on Scene The winds were from the southeast at 10knots. The sea was rippled. Stability Information The ProspectPoint was built in 1977. On 20March1978, stability data for the vessel were approved by TCas fitted and equipped for drum seining. In February 1986, a revised stability booklet was submitted to TCby a naval architect, on behalf of the owners, as a result of the then-recent alterations and addition to the length of the vessel. The stability booklet was stamped by TCas "noted" and was returned to the architect. The accompanying letter stated that discrepancies had been found in the original stability booklet with respect to the draughts and the longitudinal centre of gravity of the lightship condition used in the calculations. In a subsequent letter, TC concurred that the alterations had not adversely affected the stability of the vessel, but requested the naval architect to submit a new "worst operating" condition for approval using the new lightship figures and centres of gravity. These communications were the last on this subject; there is no record of further vessel stability submissions. Vessel Modifications The owner at the time of this occurrence had bought the vessel in1988, at which time the only stability booklet on board was the original stability data for the vessel as approved on 20March1978. The vessel remained certified as "fitted and equipped for drum seining." In 1994, after the original cargo boom broke, the owner replaced it with a heavier boom. The new boom was installed in a local shipyard under the guidance of a naval architect. At about the same time, the main seine drum was enlarged to increase the drum width by 30cm, the object being to increase the capacity of the drum to use a longer (heavier) seine net. This modification was performed by a private welder. Along the British Columbia coast, two types of seine nets are in use for salmon fishing; the ones for the Juan de Fuca Strait are the larger, at 550m (300fathoms) in length and 80m in depth; the ones used for the rest of the coast are 400m in length and 52m in depth. At this time, the steel pursing winch was replaced with an aluminum one. TC was not advised of these latter modifications, nor was a naval architect consulted during the drum enlargement process. The vessel's stability booklet was not modified to reflect these changes. Condition of the Vessel at the Time of Capsizing Since the precise quantity of consumables and fish on board the vessel at the time of the accident could not be established, it was estimated that The vessel had approximately 10to 12tons of crushed ice distributed equally among the four fish holds. The port and starboard forward fuel tanks were half full and two-thirds full respectively. This equates to a range between 4550litres and 6060litres of diesel fuel in each of the tanks. The port after fuel tank contained approximately 450litres, and the starboard after fuel tank contained approximately 1800litres. This inequality was to correct an inherent list to port. The forward ballast tank contained 1800litres of water and the after fresh water tank contained 4550litres. Regulatory Requirements in the Fishing Industry Transport Canada Part I of the Small Fishing Vessel Inspection Regulations (SFVIR) applies to vessels that exceed 15 in gross tonnage, but do not exceed 150in gross tonnage and that are 24.4m and under in length. Under these regulations, vessels of closed construction, built on or after 06July1977 and engaged in fishing for herring or capelin, are required to have approved stability data on board. The ProspectPoint had fished for herring and capelin in the past and was in possession of valid herring roe by seine fishing licences. At the time of the capsizing, the vessel was engaged in the sardine fishery. Although British Columbia sardines exhibit behaviour similar to that of herring, they are a separate species; therefore, by strict interpretation, a stability booklet is not required. The ProspectPoint was required to have a valid stability booklet to participate in the herring roe fishery. The vessel did have its 1978stability booklet on board, but subsequent modifications to the vessel had rendered that booklet invalid. Department of Fisheries and Oceans The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) 2004Pacific Region Integrated Fisheries Management Plan for roe herring specifies that "designated vessels must... have a valid herring stability certificate for harvesting herring as required under the Canada Shipping Act." The DFO's 2004sardine management plan makes no reference to vessels requiring stability data for harvesting sardines. Transport Canada and Department of Fisheries and Oceans Fishery Licensing Information A review of DFO's licensing site revealed that 252herring roe by seine licences were issued for2004. These licences were held by 136vessels. A review of TC's Ship Inspection Reporting System (SIRSIII) database revealed that data are entered in the Stability section for only 70of those vessels. Those data range from date of "Last Inclining Survey" or "Approved Stability Book" or "Is Stability Book on board?-YES." Where dates for an inclining survey or approval of stability booklet were available for vessels, 18of the dates were in the1970s, 18were in the1980s, 9were in the1990s, and none were after that.